The Roses Soul Ch 02

Annika choked on what little saliva she had left in her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I thought I heard you say wedding."

Dimitri smiled, sending involuntary shivers down her spine, which didn't make her feel any better. She didn't know whether it was attraction or fear. All she knew was she had to keep as far away from him as possible.

"Is that a problem, Annika?" he asked.

She didn't reply. She glanced down, avoiding his gaze.

"Are you going to let go of my hands?"

"It depends. Are you going to marry me?"

Annika bit her lip, holding back the hiss that would have escaped. Son-of-a-bitch. Kidnapping her... to marry her? It didn't make any sense at all.

"Why do you want to marry me, of all people?" she asked. "I'm not that special."

Dimitri tilted her head up with his index finger and stared into her eyes. A warm feeling seeped through her, and she found herself unable to look away.

She didn't even want to try.

What the fuck is going on? she thought.

"But you are," he said. "You- and your hands- are a great asset to me. You are something I must possess."

"So I am just a mere possession?"

Dimitri licked his lips, and Annika's eyes followed his tongue with ease, drinking in the sight. His gaze became sensual, and his hand dropped from her chin to her neck.

"No. I desire you as well. According to my sources, you are untouched. I intend to be your first- and your only."

Annika's breathing increased. Damn it, what was this man doing to her? He got her from hell to horny in a matter of seconds, and all he'd really done was look at her.

And healed her.

It wasn't the first time she'd been touched so delicately, healed so selflessly. In fact, simple healing was something she'd mastered at the age of ten.

And yet he'd done it so quickly, so expertly. Performing such a task with that amount of perfection was something that took years to master.

The question was, how many years did it take him?

"Don't you think our relationship is one-sided?" she asked with a smile. Play the game with him a little.

"Oh really? How so, my dear?" Dimitri's left eyebrow rose, and Annika smiled again.

"You know my secret, and apparently everything about me, right?"

"Correct."

"Then why do I know nothing about you? I've never even heard your name. And you said it was nice to meet me, finally. How long have you been waiting? How old are you? Why was your main concern my hands? And why would you marry a person you don't love?"

Dimitri stood, taking her up with him. He looked her directly in the eye, and gave her a breathtaking smile.

"You know nothing about me because it was meant to be that way. I deliberately omitted myself from your life up until this point. I am twenty-seven years old. Your hands are important to me, but believe me, they are not my main concern. And did I tell you that this marriage was loveless?"

Annika took a deep breath.

"You missed a question."

"Did I?"

"Yes, you did."

Dimitri chuckled.

"You're sharp," he said. "I like that."

Annika rolled her eyes, took a step away from him, and turned her back toward him.

"Answer me," she said. "How long have you been waiting?"

"My entire life, Annika. I've been waiting my entire life for you."

Annika's breath caught in her throat. Fuck. He wasn't supposed to say that. How could he say something like that with such conviction and ease?

And why did his words make her heart stop and lungs fail? Why did she respond so familiarly to him, when he was a complete stranger?

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Nothing was right at all. She'd had control the entire time she was here, using her life as a bargaining tool, and now this man was taking all rights from her.

He was the true Boss.

"Now, are you coming with me?" Dimitri asked, jolting her back to reality. "Our car is waiting."

The promise of freedom, food and soap called to her. But she wasn't going to give in.

Not yet.

"On several conditions," she said, turning around.

Dimitri laughed.

"You think you have a choice?" he asked, evil laced in his seductive voice.

"If you loved me, that privilege would be a given."

Dimitri nodded. "Proceed."

She leaned on the wall. "Condition number one: court me."

He burst out laughing, and Annika had to work hard to keep a straight face. She had to be serious.

"Court? Does anyone even use that term anymore?"

"Just listen. If I have to marry anyone, especially someone whose love I don't return, I would expect them to try their hardest to make me fall in love with them."

"Done. Next?"

Annika paused. He agreed so readily, as if it was his plan. She smiled. He was slick.

"Condition number two: I will have the freedom to do what I want. I will not run away from you, or this deal will not be fair."

"Done. Any others?"

Annika exhaled.

"Yes," she said. "There's one more. Condition number three: you will not touch me until I ask you to. If we marry, don't use it as an excuse to... to ravish me."

Dimitri smiled at her, and she shrank back, the wall preventing her from moving any further. He walked up to her and placed his hands at both sides of her head, pinning her there.

"When we marry," he said, "the choice is yours. And you will not ask me, you will beg me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Oh, I'm absolutely positive."

Annika blushed as he leaned in- and brushed his lips on her forehead.

"Now then, shall we go?"

Annika gave him her hand.

"Yes," she said. "Take me away."

Dimitri looked at the woman sitting a few centimeters away from him. Damn, she was beautiful. And she'd agreed to go with him, giving him only three conditions.

There was something she knew. And he wouldn't rest until he found out what it was.

She fiddled with her fingers as she stared out the window. She was nervous. After all her false bravado, she was nervous.

"Are you ok?" he asked, his voice cracking. God. He was getting horny just by watching her. He shouldn't have agreed to the last condition.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

He saw her inch further away from him, and her fingers twitched again.

No. Her fingers weren't twitching. They were moving back and forth.

Fuck. She was fucking herself. Right in front of him, her jeans unzipped and slightly pulled down. How hadn't he noticed it when she started? She wasn't as innocent as he thought she was. And the fact that she couldn't wait intrigued him more. He had a thought, but he wanted to be sure.

"Oh, Annika," he breathed. "What are you doing?"

She gasped and her fingers moved faster.

"Nothing," she whispered. "Ignore me."

Ignore her? With her, the one woman he desired pleasuring herself right next to him?

Like hell.

And this proved his thought right. She was using him as her image. Apparently he wasn't the only one regretting the last condition.

The car hit a bump, and she moaned. He silently thanked the driver and prayed he'd do it again.

"Fuck," she moaned.

"Did you say something, Annika?"

"No, I didn't..."

Oh fuck it. He couldn't just watch. He had to help.

He grabbed her by her shoulders. She looked at him in surprise, but didn't stop. Fuck it, she went even faster.

She put her fast hands to good use, he noted. There was no way she just figured it out. She'd intended to not let a man touch her.

And he was going to show her how good it felt.

The screen blocked the driver's view of them, and he thanked his lucky stars for it. The last thing he needed was a voyeur.

Well, another one.

He moved her fingers, replacing them with his mouth. She gasped out, her nails digging into the back of his head. God, she tasted good. And, he noted as he stuck his tongue inside her, his source wasn't wrong. His act elicited both a moan and a hiss of pain, which turned him on more. She held his head in place, moaning softly, but her hips stayed still, only giving the slightest quiver.

The bitch was holding back.

He gripped her hips tightly with both hands, and thrust forward.

"Oh god!!" she screamed. "Oh my god!"

She began thrusting wildly on her own, gasping and moaning loudly. That's it, he thought. Lose yourself in it. Enjoy it. See what life with me would be like.

She was relentless. Obviously this was the first time she'd ever experienced something like this, and she loved it.

So did he. He expertly twisted and thrust his tongue, drawing a series of moans, gasps and screams. The car hit another bump, and she moaned loudly, arching her back. She was coming. Sad thing was, he wouldn't let her.

He moved away and sat on the far side of the back seat, leaving her hot, wet, and irritated. He waited for her to yell at him, to grab him and pull him back down so he could finish what he started.

But she didn't. Instead, she closed her legs, fixed her jeans, and sat up quietly.

What the fuck! he thought. She gave up? She just gave up?!

Her mocha colored skin glistened with sweat, and she steadied her breathing with amazing ease.

She'd been stopped before. The blatant look of irritation stated that this was the furthest she'd ever gotten.

And he'd stopped her. Shit, could he be any more evil? He just wanted her to crave him the way he craved her.

Well, that plan was a failure.

The car stopped, and Alex, the chauffeur, opened the door. She jumped out like a bat out of hell, and sped toward the house. He chased after her, taking care to run normally, and he couldn't catch her. She stopped at the door. When he got there, he smiled at her.

"Why didn't you go inside?" he asked.

"The door is locked."

Her answer was frank and simple, and laced with anger. Oh yeah. She was pissed. Dimitri unlocked the door, and she walked ahead of him, stopping in the hall.

"Where's my room?" she asked.

"Upstairs. The second door on your left."

She began walking up the stairs.

"Aren't you going to eat, Annika?" he asked warily.

She whirled around, fire in her eyes.

"I think I'll pass," she said. "After all, how much disappointment can one girl take?"

She glared at him for a few seconds, and then went to her room, slamming the door.

Great, he thought. This was supposed to be easy. Easy just flew out the fucking window.